By Alana Schetzer

June 3, 2018 — 12.15am

When I was a kid, I loved reading comic books. I'd read anything I could get my unusually small hands on – The Phantom, Wonder Woman, Richie Rich, Uncle Scrooge – I loved them all. I wasn't terribly impressed when my light was turned off at 9pm every night – I desperately wanted to keep reading – so I did what any other comic-loving person would do: fake stomach pains, slide a few comic books down my pyjama pants and go to the bathroom, where I kept reading, all under the guise that I was sick.

It wasn't the most dignified thing to do, and with the shackles of childhood removed, I no longer have to make up excuses to read comics. And I'm not the only one.

Geek (detail) by Dean Rankine

Across Melbourne, comic book fans, big and small, can get their fix from an increasing number of shops, clubs, conventions and events that cater to those who like to live through the eyes of a teenage boy who's been given powers through a spider bite or a respected psychiatrist-turned-psychotic-gymnast-fighter slash anti-hero.

Between June 9 and 10, Melbourne will host one of the city's biggest comic events,

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Cosplay is part of the fun at Oz Comic Con.

Oz Comic Con, an annual celebration of all things comics, also offers cosplay and wonderfully expensive merchandise. It's a place where fans can dress up, meet their favourite writers, animators and actors and take part in hours-long debates about whether Avengers or X-Men depicted Quicksilver best on film (answer, sadly, is X-Men).

Actors including Lesley-Ann Brandt (Spartacus: Blood and Sand), Christopher Larkin (The 100), Katherine McNamara (Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments) and Australian Keiynan Lonsdale (The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl) will be among the guest stars alongside comic writers, artists and cosplay "legends" to meet and greet fans. There will also be stalls selling comics, DVDs and merchandise.

Oz Comic Con content manager Luke Lancaster says the event brings the comic community together and is a celebration of all things "pop culture and fandom".

"We don't play favourites, it's across video games, comics, film, TV; it's about creating a space and a community that celebrates the fact that we can all come together over these shared passions," he says.

Cosplay is part of the fun at Oz Comic Con.

Lancaster has been a comic book fan since childhood, especially the classic superhero titles, but it was when a high school history teacher introduced him to more independent and "offbeat" titles that he became dedicated to the genre.

"It's such a unique marriage of art and text and I don't think that other stories, whether they be art or film or prose, capture that as well as comics do. And there's something powerfully imaginative about comics and it engages character in a way that no other media does," he explains.

Oz Comic Con by Wayne Nichols.

"It's icons like Batman and Spiderman, characters that have been around for decades, that people are still enthralled with today and so many writers have been able to put a new spin on those characters and create something new and interesting."

For those who read comics only as children, the genre has expanded well past that of just superheroes and simple stories of good versus evil. Shelves are stocked with titles that incorporate television shows and pop cultural phenomena, such as American Horror Story, Angry Birds, Arrested Development, Dr Who and 1980s classic, Alf. The flexible medium has found fans who have followed a popular television show to the comic format, for example, when the cult series Buffy the Vampire Slayer finished after its seventh season in 2003, an eighth season was told via a new comic series.

Iron Spider-Man by Wayne Nichols.

While superhero and action titles remain extremely popular, the variety in characters and stories being told has evolved significantly, which is what is drawing in a more diverse fandom. The industry also has a healthy independent section, too.

Lancaster adds: "The way the audience has changed, it's gone from something that targeted a much younger demographic to essentially a serious medium for artists now, and that level of sophistication has grown with us.

Melbourne comic artist Dean Rankine

"As more people accept comics are serious art forms, we get more sophisticated stories."

Like the genre itself, Melbourne's comic book scene has evolved over the years, and is no longer the exclusive domain of children or young men who live in their parents' basement. "Nerd culture" has gone mainstream and everyone is welcomed and that increasingly means women, the LGBTI community and everyone in between. Melbourne's comic books scene is closely tied in with cosplay, video game, anime, sci-fi and fantasy, and graphic novels.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (stariing Sarah Michelle Geller) went from TV series to comic books.

There are dedicated spaces for all types of comic book fans, including the ever-popular All Star Women's Comic Book Club which hosts a monthly meet-up for women comic book fans and also doubles as a comic swap and offers comic-themed craft activities. Melbourne City Library hosts a monthly graphic novel meet-up, while at Brunswick's Squishface Studio, creators can meet monthly to draw, write and discuss the latest developments in the industry, such as "why does Zack Snyder remain head of the DC Extended Universe despite the obvious reasons that he shouldn't?"

Melbourne Queer Comic Group was created in 2015 by Haydn Klemm as a way to create a community for like-minded comic book clubs, and which emphasised comic titles about women and queer characters.

"It's a group of people who were interested in comics but have a queer perspective. There's a wide range of ages and gender identities, and we all just love comic books and it's a place where we can feel comfortable and discuss these things," he says.

CBD comic book stores such as Comics 'R' Us, Minotaur, All Star Comics and Classic Comics are among the most popular places in Melbourne not just for comics, but also for books, clothes, figurines, DVDs and every type of merchandise you can think of. On the weekends in particular, you'll find aisles stocked with fans checking out the latest issues and being deep in discussion with fellow fans.

It's very much a community and although most fans hold pretty passionate opinions on characters and storylines, it's a community that embraces people, and where the words "nerd" and "geek" are badges of pride.

Matthew Guy – no, not that Matthew Guy – has worked at Comics 'R' Us for 26 years and witnessed how much the comic scene has changed in the past few years, for the better.

"It's changed quite dramatically; in the early days of the 1990s, the customers were mostly male, like 95 per cent male, and if a female came in, it was probably a mistake or they'd made a wrong turn," he says.

"Now, we're getting a much wider demographic, more women customers who are into a wide range of comics, and we're getting a lot more younger people in too, which wasn't the case in the 1990s. It's changed a lot, we get all sorts of people between the ages of eight and 45."

Guy adds that the flourishing comic movie industry, which spits out at least half a dozen adaptations a year, has helped produce a new generation of comic book fans and they are especially dedicated to their favourite writer, character or animator.

"Comics are a lifelong passion for me and lots of people; it's a magical world that appeals to lots of people for lots of different reasons.

Like many kids, Melbourne comic artist Dean Rankine grew up drawing, and instead of growing out of it, he made it his career. After honing his skills drawing for various children's magazines, Rankine scored his dream jobs working for The Simpsons, Futurama and Mad magazine.

"I've always drawn, ever since I was a shy, awkward kid and I was encouraged to draw. And people would compliment me on my work and because I'm a praise monkey, I found that was my thing."

Rankine did an art and design course at TAFE and continued to draw. He had been working for about 20 years before he scored his "big break", working on The Simpsons comic book.

"It's been life-changing. I was drawing for 20 years before that and no one had heard of anything I've done; it was like a switch being turned on.

"Every now and then, I pinch myself; I get to draw Milhouse and I know his personality and what he would say, and there's something really special about it."

Rankine will be appearing at Oz Comic Con, and says it's a great opportunity for creators to meet and mingle with fans.

"The first convention I went to was mind-blowing; I thought these are my people. It's OK to geek out about things and it's a place where you can be totally excited about the pop culture you're into and you'll find kindred spirits who will love the same things you're into."

Rankine says that Melbourne is a great place for both comic fans and creators and has embraced all fans, adding that the "thriving independent community" has embraced more diverse stories and characters, which not only makes the choice of comics available more interesting, but also takes the industry forwards.

"We've got some really great shops and they're really supportive of the local scene," he says. "Walk into a comic store and the people who are there are all different: men and women, kids, everyone.

"Comics are no longer just for kids; it's a bit like film – some movies are popcorn blockbusters and others are arthouse and have a much deeper story – and it's the same with comics, it covers all genres."

Lancaster says that the increasing sophistication of stories and the welcoming of more types of readers and creators will only make the comic book scene stronger and more diverse.

"Comics are becoming more accepted by more people, and it's opening its arms more to women, and that's such a good thing."

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I'm doing my part, too; I gave away most of the comics I'd accrued during my childhood to my nephew, who loves them almost as much as I did. And no, I didn't tell him that they had once been down my pants.

Oz Comic Con is on June 9 to 10 at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information, visit ozcomiccon.com